GQ woes.

[GQPorkroll]

Ok nothing serious, but yeah, I have a few dramas.

GQ 4.2L Petrol/Gas Manual.

First off, It has the dreaded GQ shake at about 70k's. I bought the truck and drove it for a blue slip and it didn't happen, I assume the owners tightened everything up to stop it. I got it passed, came home, drove around town for a few days and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Few days later, i noticed traveling over 80k's there was a shake through the wheel and if I was on a corrugated road, it would be almost uncontrollable, but if I stopped, or slowed below 40k's it would stop. At first I assumed it was because it had massively sagged rear springs due to the gas tank in the rear. It actually had 2" lifted springs but was dropped lower than standard due to the weight.

Wasn't overly concerned as I had new (balanced) wheels and tyres, shocks, springs and damper to fit.

Fitted them all up (35's and 3" lift), all Ironman and its still doing it.

I have now ordered drop boxes, radius rod spacer, camber correction bushes and plates, and new bushes for the front end, new wheel bearings and an adjustable panhard bar, new shims and will inspect everything else while I'm around there fitting the rest. Once its all fitted, I'll take it for a wheel alignment and another balance.

There is a clunk coming from the drivers footwell, so I'm assuming the radius rod rear bush is stuffed. I've checked the chassis where the steering box mounts as I heard they crack in the early trucks but mine isn't cracked. The previous owner has fitted a new steering bush, new bearings a few years ago, and a string of other work to the truck (i'm assuming trying to cure the shake)

My next problem involves trying to fit a roof console and changing interior lights. My original interior lights refused to work, so I bought 2 new Narva replacements (Almost a direct fit) but I'm having dramas.

The new lights are a 3 position switch, (on/off/door) the same as the originals, but only have 2 wires. I'm assuming they earth through the body into the roof. For the time being, i've wired them only to come on with the door, but would like to have the option of turning them on via the switch.

So, in the roof, there is 3 wires, (I'm assuming) one earth, one door switched and one constant power. (getting to the roof console) I tried to pull power from here to run my CB, but when I open the door, the power goes off.

From memory, the wires are black with white trace (I assumed earth), red, and black with purple trace, can anyone tell me which wires do what please?

I'll have to run a switched power into the roof at a later stage, as I want to run 2 gauges in the roof console, and I know I'll forget to turn the CB off if its running constantly, but I did want to set it all up and try it first.

I think thats about it for now. I'm playing around with lights at the moment, Ive fitted a HID kit to the main lights which I'm really happy with, but one has gone out on low beam (deep water crossing) so now i'm just trying to get my driving lights right. I had 8" HID lights but they were basically chit. To say they were a pencil beam is an understatement. They may have traveled 1km or more, but at the end of the K, the beam was only 40cm round. I have swapped them out for a pair of Narva Taurus with 100w globes, but presently the HID lights are brighter than them, so I'm still experimenting.

Any tips/recommendations for lights?

Cheers guys.

[GQPorkroll]

Sorry, should have read steering box replaced, not steering bush replaced.

BTW, i'm also looking to change drivers seat. I have a sprung base on the drivers side, as I have a shot back, but don't find the original seat gives too much support when i'm off road. I was told to be careful replacing seats as the Troll is narrow at the shoulders and some Recaros will foul on the B pillar (especially with mine, as the seat is raised up quite high with no one sitting in it) I really need a much more supportive seat, with lumbar controls etc. Is there a factory option from a later model GQ that is more comfortable? I have a set of seat covers, so not stressed about colour or anything, just needs to be comfy!

[growler2058]

Commodore seats vx vy fit but with any seat not factory it can be defected (incl recaros)

[GQPorkroll]

They're not quite as strict in NSW, AFAIK if you use existing runners its fine, as I have been thru rego and police stops with aftermarket race seats in cars, on factory runners, but I wouldn't have a commode seat in my car, I've driven a few and they feel like park benches. I've seen a few GQ's with a velour interior and I think they have lumbar etc so i'll try to source some from a wreckers.

[MQ MAD]

They're not quite as strict in NSW, AFAIK if you use existing runners its fine, as I have been thru rego and police stops with aftermarket race seats in cars, on factory runners, but I wouldn't have a commode seat in my car, I've driven a few and they feel like park benches. I've seen a few GQ's with a velour interior and I think they have lumbar etc so i'll try to source some from a wreckers.

Id be checking the rules regarding this
Any seat/seating alteration in QLD (yeah i know you mentione NSW) has to be mod plated
Even replacing a factory seat with an aftermarket one has to be mod plated

The laws are getting harder aussie wide
But there are exceptions to the rule, and depending who you know some people will turn a blind eye on mods, but it solely rests on the cars owner IF they get busted

[GQPorkroll]

Yes, I have spoken with an engineer and a mechanic. As long as I use the original mounting points in the vehicle, its not a problem. Although, as mine has a KAB sprung base fitted, the points are on top of the base, and any seat will bolt straight on top of it. The base uses original Nissan mounting points with a fabricated bracket and has passed rego and was told by an engineer it didn't need a report as it was bolt in.

If I get pulled for a seat, I'd have more to worry about than just that, like most of us, I guess. But as I don't want lary colours or racing seats, just something more comfortable, I think the likelihood of it being noticed and or defected is pretty low although, especially given its mainly driven to work and back, or on roads the coppers wouldn't take their Rangers for fear of wetting themselves, there are plenty of coppers around who hate 4WD's and will slap a defect on it just because, and then the onus is on you to repair it or prove otherwise.

You know, all this crap really annoys me. Like the majority of people here, i'm into my cars BIG TIME. I make sure they're safe, registered and insured and any mod I do is done safely or not at all. But just because I drive a lifted Patrol with 35s on it, I must do illegal things and fit illegal parts, etc etc. Where as the bloke I work with, who drags his wife and 3 kids around in a clapped out Pajero with bald tyres, exhaust leak, oil leaks and a cracked windscreen isn't noticed because it sits at stock height. Where as mine is big, covered in mud and has blue balls hanging from the tow bar. Same as my other toy. Stock as the day it left the factory apart from a set of Ford optioned mag wheels, yet because its a V8 with stripes on it, I MUST do burnouts and illegal street races and have naughty go fast bits fitted to it. SMH.

[madmike]

you should check the front controller arm bushes they are probably flogged and need replacing i had the wobbles at 70 like you changed the bushes to offset due to my 3 inch lift and it cured it. You might not need offset bushes butt if your replacing them anyway you might as well do it.

[GQPorkroll]

I think you must mean the radius rods. They don't have a control arm, or not one that you would put camber adjusting bushes in, anyway. I have castor correction plates for the radius rods and drop boxes so this should take care of it.

[Yendor]

The wiring for the interior light should be, Red positive, Black earth and the Black with a pink trace will be an earth when the doors are open.

[MudRunnerTD]

I think you must mean the radius rods. They don't have a control arm, or not one that you would put camber adjusting bushes in, anyway. I have castor correction plates for the radius rods and drop boxes so this should take care of it.


OK old mate, your a little off track. some corrections for you.

The part you are referring too is actually called Radius Arms and often referred to Front control arms on a Nissan Patrol.

If you have caster plates fitted then you will need to remove them to fit drop boxes. You will NOT need Radius arm spacer bushes if you fit Drop Boxes as the spacing is built into the Drop Box construction. cancel the order mate. The whole point of the Drop Box is to reposition the rear of the radius arms down to correct the caster angle. Efficient and no other correction is required.

I am assuming that you are having a variable King Pin Bearing race fitted like the safe-t-steer (http://safetsteer.com.au/portal/content/view/192/338/) product for your camber correction. Highly recommend this product. you will only need to do the left side with this item though.

If you are going to replace all of the front bushes on the car DONT get anything but Rubber. the rest are Junk and your wasting your time and money. With the Drop boxes you should be able to retain the front Radius Arm bushes from the factory. Nissan OEM are simply the Best product on the market. Fit only genuine if yours have been pulled out.

I think you probably have a Panard Rod bush that is rooted and you say you are just about to replace that? Do that first, one thing at a time mate.

Good luck.

[MudRunnerTD]

The wiring for the interior light should be, Red positive, Black earth and the Black with a pink trace will be an earth when the doors are open.

I was just about to go there Yendor, thanks mate. So the interior light is Switched to Earth?

[Yendor]

Yes, the door when open switches earth to the interior light.

To enable the new interior light to switch on from its own switch I'll say you will need to earth the body of the light.

Have a look at the mounting holes for the light you should see one that has a copper or metal track attached to it (the other end will go to the switch), you will need to connect the Black wire to this.

[MudRunnerTD]

We like you here Rod, your a good man mate alway got great info bud. Cheers

[GQPorkroll]

Hey MudRunner, cheers for that.

RE: control arms/radius rods etc ive never heard of them called control arms, and all my books at work call them radius rods. I'm used to control arms being upper and lower, but I guess like the strut bar/Z bar/radius rod on the Commodore, these also have 5 different names and everyone calls them something different.

I ordered castor correction plates after being told by a workshop to use them, but after finding my chassis end radius rod bush was flogged out, I decided to leave well enough alone on the diff and will replace the flogged bush with an OEM part and also fit drop boxes (mainly as I think the chassis end section is flogged out) so may as well take it out of the equation. That will be done tomorrow.

The previous owner fitted new nola type panhard rod bushes and damper about 6 months ago. I am replacing it with an adjustable panhard bar with rubber bushes and I also fitted a new damper when I did my lift.

I just ordered a non adjustable aftermarket swivel hub kit and wheel bearing kits through work, which I will do in a few weeks time, but I'm hoping to cure the wheel wobble with the drop boxes and new bushes.

[GQPorkroll]

Ok just a quick update. Firstly, Yendor thanks for the info on wiring the light. I'll get out today and have a better look and try to sort it all out.

Next, gave up trying to fit drop boxes on my own. The radius rods are super tight and the 'workshop equipment' I was offered to use consisted of $2 spanners. I brought my socket set just in case and even my breaker bar wasn't enough to crack the bolts. Have up on it and booked it in to a workshop to have it done.

They'll also do wheel bearings, swivel hub kits, check all the rubbers, fit the panhard bar and then do a wheel alignment.

In regards to the interior light, If I take power from the red wire for my CB, and then earth it somewhere other than the wiring for the light, will that work?

[munter]

First off, It has the dreaded GQ shake at about 70k's. I bought the truck and drove it for a blue slip and it didn't happen, I assume the owners tightened everything up to stop it. I got it passed, came home, drove around town for a few days and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Few days later, i noticed traveling over 80k's there was a shake through the wheel and if I was on a corrugated road, it would be almost uncontrollable, but if I stopped, or slowed below 40k's it would stop. At first I assumed it was because it had massively sagged rear springs due to the gas tank in the rear. It actually had 2" lifted springs but was dropped lower than standard due to the weight.

Wasn't overly concerned as I had new (balanced) wheels and tyres, shocks, springs and damper to fit.

Fitted them all up (35's and 3" lift), all Ironman and its still doing it.

I have now ordered drop boxes, radius rod spacer, camber correction bushes and plates, and new bushes for the front end, new wheel bearings and an adjustable panhard bar, new shims and will inspect everything else while I'm around there fitting the rest. Once its all fitted, I'll take it for a wheel alignment and another balance.

what brand tyres and wheels did you get?
some cheaper brand rims can cause headaches in balancing

have you checked all your tie rod ends? and every single one of your bushes?
raidus arm mushroom and slotted bushes?
panhard bushes?

it's usually a flagged bush (remember to check the rear aswel)



There is a clunk coming from the drivers footwell, so I'm assuming the radius rod rear bush is stuffed. I've checked the chassis where the steering box mounts as I heard they crack in the early trucks but mine isn't cracked. The previous owner has fitted a new steering bush, new bearings a few years ago, and a string of other work to the truck (i'm assuming trying to cure the shake)

Call Nizbits
http://www.nizzbits.com.au/
and get new body mounts....
a pain in the ass job, but stops the clunks and groans



hope this helps